Did you just receive a ‘ghost promotion?’ Here’s how to tell

“Congrats,” my former manager had exclaimed as he sat me down. “We’re going to make you a vice president. You now get to oversee these two other teams as well. It’s going to be amazing for your career here.”

I was ecstatic that day when I walked out of his office. Becoming a VP was a huge, highly coveted step at the company. But in the days to follow, my excitement vanished. There was no new paperwork to sign; there was no announcement to the team or broader organization; there was no pay increase. Just a fancy new title and lots and lots more work to do. It finally became clear that I was the victim of a fake promotion—also known as a ghost promotion.

Ghost promotions aren’t a new phenomenon, but certainly more prevalent when companies are cautious about spending more money. According to a recent Mercer study, there’s an ongoing decline in annual compensation budgets given heightened economic uncertainty. Gusto research also shows that promotion rates have slowed steadily across all industries over the last three years, with tech seeing the biggest impact. If you can’t pay people more to recognize and reward them, ghost promotions may be a creative solution leaders find themselves offering.

“These hollow advancements are everywhere now,” explains Jason Morris, a business expert at My Profit Engine, a specialized link-building agency. “Companies have figured out they can keep ambitious employees happy temporarily by changing their title while changing absolutely nothing else.”

So how can you tell if you have been the recipient of a ghost promotion, or if your manager is actually focused on your career growth in tough economic times? Consider the following ways to evaluate the offer:

1. Figure out if the promotion feels fishy

In my case, my promotion came with no organizational announcement, no new paperwork, no new job description. My former boss asked me to absorb two additional teams during a big restructure of the department. He introduced me as a VP in external meetings with much fanfare and encouraged me to change my email signature.

To discern if this was a ghost promotion, I went to my trusted network of friends, a few of them who were vice presidents at the company. They shared what a compensation package for a VP should look like, including ranges for base pay, bonus target, and stock grants. They also let me know that at the VP level, you were assigned a financial adviser paid for by the company, which was one of the additional benefits of getting to that level. My boss never mentioned any of those details.

“A legitimate promotion always involves money talk,” Morris notes. “If they’re avoiding that conversation entirely, they’re probably hoping you won’t bring it up.”

Apart from compensation, here are some other questions to consider when evaluating this promotion:

• Did you receive a new job description with roles and responsibilities?
• Was there an announcement to the team and the broader department? Did anyone congratulate you or celebrate you?
• Did you receive a new contract, which includes changes to pay, but also highlights additional benefits you may receive?

Reviewing these questions can help you then prepare for next steps when meeting with your boss.

2. Approach your boss on next steps 

“Listen, you should consider yourself lucky I’m giving you a VP title,” my boss had responded, completely irritated that I was asking the specifics about the promotion a week later. “There’s no budget for any of the things you are asking for. And there’s no need to tell everyone about it.” I felt my throat dry up and a pit in my stomach. His response validated my concerns.

“Real promotions create ripples throughout an organization,” Morris says. “If you’re the only one who knows about your advancement, it probably isn’t real.”

In my case, this wasn’t real career growth or advancement; it was manipulation. But it’s important to know that there may be a case where your boss is focused on supporting your career ambitions. They may be giving you the title now, but putting the promotion in the system next quarter when budgets open up. They may be giving you the title and more job responsibilities now to protect your job if more layoffs are planned. They may be giving you the title now and oversight of the team to make the case for you to receive all the benefits of the real promotion later on in the year. Approaching your boss can give you clarity on what to do next.

3. Use the promotion to your advantage

As soon as I determined I’d been given a ghost promotion, I was faced with two choices. One was to not accept the promotion, risk my job security, and aggravate my boss further. The other was to accept the promotion and use it to my advantage. I decided to smile, say thank you, and plot my exit plan. I was able to parlay the ghost promotion, and the increased responsibilities, into a strong career story for a bigger, better role externally—one that was a real promotion with all of the benefits I deserved.

“Sometimes a ghost promotion is actually a gift—it gives you the credentials to pursue genuine opportunities without having to wait for your current company to catch up. The key is recognizing when you’re being strung along versus when there’s actual potential for growth,” says Morris.

If you find yourself in a position where you accept a ghost promotion, use it to your advantage. Use it to find your next opportunity, where you’re valued for what you have earned—and deserve.